Bong refuses to enter plea; Napoles, Estrada plead ‘not guilty’

Sen. Ramon ‘Bong’ Revilla Jr.

MANILA — While Janet Lim Napoles and Senator Jinggoy Estrada’s senior staff entered not guilty pleas, Senator Ramon “Bong” Revilla Jr. refused to enter a plea to the 16 counts of graft and plunder charges filed against him in the anti-graft court.

Revilla and two other senators including Estrada and Juan Ponce Enrile were charged with plunder, a non-bailable offense for their alleged involvement in the pork barrel scam.

The three senators were accused of allegedly receiving millions of kickbacks from Napoles, the alleged pork barrel scam mastermind.

Instead, Associate Justice Efrean dela Cruz, of the First Division, entered the not guilty plea for the senator.

The rest of the 13 respondents including Napoles and Estrada also entered not guilty pleas.

Napoles, who was also charged with a separate serious illegal detention case, has been detained by the police in a camp in Sta. Rosa, Laguna.

The serious illegal detention case was filed by the pork barrel scam whistle blower Benhur Luy.

Meanwhile, senators Revilla and Estrada who earlier voluntarily turned themselves to the police upon the release of their arrest warrant are now detained at the  the Philippine National Police Custodial Center in Camp Crame.